More than three million Ontarians will be living with serious illnesses by 2040, posing significant risk to the already overburdened health-care system in the province, a new report is forecasting.
The ever-rising incidence of illness is primarily linked to the province’s aging population as baby boomers enter their 70s and 80s, but a growing number of younger Canadians are also experiencing serious health issues, researchers at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health say.
“The number of people living with chronic illnesses has nearly doubled over the past 20 years from approximately 960,000 in 2002 to 1.8 million in 2020,” the study authors said. “This trend is expected to continue, reaching approximately 3.1 million people living with major illness in 2040.”…